Suddenly Everything Has Changed
by tjmack
Summary: A/U After graduating high school, the girls leave Tree Hill in the middle of the night. One of them is running away from something, one is running to something, and one is running to hide something. But what will happen when they decide to return to Tree
1. The Places You Have Come To Fear The

Suddenly Everything Has Changed

Summary: A/U After graduating high school, the girls leave Tree Hill in the middle of the night. One of them is running away from something, one is running to something, and one is running to hide something. But what will happen when they decide to return to Tree Hill. Will those they left behind, be able to forgive them? And is it true, when they say True Love Never Dies?

* * *

Chapter One: The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most

Haley James walked around a town that had grown slightly distant in her life. She had left Tree Hill, just after graduation with her two best friends Peyton Sawyer and Brooke Davis. Although a part of her would have loved to stayed in Tree Hill, she felt the need, no the want to get away. To break away, and show the world exactly what Haley James was made of. Well that and the fact that she had fallen so much in love with Nathan Scott, and well long story short. She was sick of putting herself out there for him, and having him always screw it up.

She hadn't felt right when she first left, not right at all. She loved Nathan with a passion, he was her husband, the man of her dreams, but she just wasn't sure she was ready to just give up on all her dreams to follow the highly rated basketball star to where ever it was that he would be playing next.

Haley hadn't really been paying much attention to where she was walking, but she suddenly realized that she was standing in front of the waterfront. She stepped down onto the platform, and stood just in front of one of the many scattered picnic tables. A warm smile crossed her face, as she remembered the first time she tutored Nathan.

She ran her small hand across the surface of the table, as she vividly remembered his cocky, but ever so hot grin, as he placed the cracker jack bracelet on her wrist. His words ringing in her ear, the smile slowly faded as she realized that she had lost that. She lost that relationship, that friendship, and she knew her chances of getting it back weren't likely.

Haley sat down on the small picnic table, just wanting to be close to him, whatever that may mean. So she pulled her jacket around her body, as the chilly late October wind started to pick up, and she reminisced on better times. Nathan telling her how much he loved her, they're wedding, laying in bed all day, curled around his body.

She had called him a few times after she had left. The first time, he had hung up immediately. Although he did call her back the next day, apologizing for his pettiness, but explaining how she didn't have the right to call him, after just vanishing in the middle of the night. The next few times were a little more productive, they had talked for close to an hour, until she had tried to apologize for leaving like she did. It usually ended with him hanging up on her, after screaming that he hated her because she gave up on them without fighting.

The first time this had occurred he had called back, apologized, explaining how he didn't mean that he hated her, he just wasn't fond of her at the moment. The second and third time though, he didn't call back, and when she called for a fourth time. He told her that while his heart ached for her, and that he still loved her, and probably always would. That he couldn't see himself with her ever again. That she had broken his trust, when she had broken his heart. He had went on to explain that he hated the man he had become in her absence, and that he planned on changing that. Just before he hung the phone, he asked her that if she still loved him, that she wouldn't call back.

She had respected his request, and had long since stopped trying to contact him. After realizing how her leaving had hurt him so bad, she realized how much of her heart really did belong to him, and how much she was willing to fight to get him back.

Besides Peyton and Brooke, the only other person who knew she was back in town, was Lucas Scott. Nathan's older brother, and her best friend. She had begged him to not tell Nathan, that she needed to do that on her own. She had decided to stay at Lucas's house tonight, and go see Nathan first thing in the morning, but first thing was first. She had to get the courage to look him in the face, and take whatever it was that she was sure he would dish out.

She sat at the table a little while longer, needing to remember every good time they had, had together. Her eyes glanced around the table, when they came in contact with something she was sure wasn't there before she left. She would have remembered that, she was sure. There off to the left hand side of the table, were the initials NS and HJS always and forever. She felt hot tears prick at her eyelids, before slowly falling down her cheeks, he did still love her. She closed her eyes and let the tears fall down, as her mind went just two years earlier.

* * *

_**Beginning of Flashback**_

_Haley sat in the backseat of Brooke's car. It was one in the morning, and they had just left Haley's apartment. The one she had shared with her husband. She clutched her suitcase to her chest. A part of her wasn't ready to go, that part wanted to stay in Tree Hill and really become a family with Nathan. While a slightly larger part just needed to get away, to see the world. She really hoped Nathan would understand, although she knew he wouldn't. _

"_Hales, are you sure you want this?" Brooke asked, as she glided the car into the airport parking lot. _

"_Yeah," Haley said, sounding slightly unsure._

"_You don't sound too sure," Peyton pointed out, her own reasons for needing to escape Tree Hill, and Lucas Scott. _

"_I am, I'm just...I'm scared that Nathan won't understand," Haley explained. _

"_Well, to tell you the truth Haley, if this is what you truly want, then your gonna have to just deal with that. I'm sorry that, that sounds harsh, but you made a choice, a decision, and if you go back, me and Peyton won't be upset with you. We'll understand, it's just, the way you were talking a few days ago, was that you needed a much needed break from Tree Hill and Nathan Scott," Brooke explained._

"_I do, I do, I'm sorry, I'm on board," Haley said, with a confused sounding sigh, before jumping out of the car, and following her two friends._

_**End of Flashback**_

* * *

"Well, well, if it isn't Haley James Scott," a familiar voice called from behind her.

A smile found itself on her lips, as she got up and turned toward the voice.

"Lucas Eugene Scott..." Haley said, before the smile disappeared from her lips. "By the way, it's Haley James.."

Lucas looked at her slightly confused, he had unforunately lost contact with Nathan. He somehow blamed Lucas for Haley leaving, and breaking his heart. Lucas had just assumed that he needed someone to blame, and if it made him feel better to blame him, then by all means it was fine to blame him for it.

"Hales, I know he had said something about thinking about it..." Lucas trailed off.

"Yeah, well I could have been difficult, I didn't have to sign the papers. I just thought that after leaving like I did, I figured I could bare him the fight that I didn't want a divorce," Haley explained.

"How long?" Lucas asked, stunned that his brother would actually divorce a woman that he was still very much in love with...or so Lucas assumed.

"About eight or nine months ago," Haley answered, staring at her feet.

"Well, it's getting pretty chilly out here, what do you say we go back to my place, and have some hot cocoa?" Lucas asked.

"Hot cocoa sounds like heaven," Haley tried to offer a smile, although she knew that Lucas could tell it was half-hearted.


	2. The Heart Brings You Back

Chapter Two: The Heart Brings You Back

Peyton Sawyer stood on the river court. It had been two years since she had stepped foot on the court. She swiped away the tears that had formed in her eyes, she knew what she had to do. She had to talk to Lucas, she had to explain to him, why it was she left like she did. She hadn't meant to hurt him, it wasn't her intention, she just needed to get away. She was afraid to tell him, the secret she had been hiding. Afraid that he would abandon what he wanted, to be with her, near her. Both things had come as a shock to her, one could have made her happier than she could have known, the other would ruin her life.

She sighed, as she flipped open her cell. She had to talk to a friend, to someone that had been there. Someone that knew what she had been through.

"Hello," Haley answered her phone, trying to not laugh at the funny face Lucas was making at her.

"Haley, I need you," Peyton's quivering voice squeaked over the phone. Desperation apart in her plea.

"I'm back home, did you not know that?" Haley asked, concern now written on her face, which Lucas had immediately picked up on.

"So am I...I'm at the river court, please Haley, I need you," Peyton said, trying to sniff back her tears.

"I'll see what I can do," Haley said, before hanging up the phone.

Peyton took a seat on the picnic table beside the court, remembering their first week in Los Angeles.

_**Beginning of Flashback**_

"_Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer," Brooke yelled from the living room. _

"_Yes, Brooke Penelope Davis?" Peyton smiled as she walked from the kitchen to the living room._

"_Well, it's just not fair is all..." Brooke said, twirling a piece of her hair nervously in between her fingers. _

"_What's not fair?" Peyton asked, knowing what her answer would be._

"_Well, you know why we came out here, but we have no clue why you came. The last time I checked you were madly in love with a guy named Lucas Scott. So I'm just curious as to why you'd jeopardize your relationship like that," Brooke said, finding the floor interesting, not wanting to push Peyton to hard. _

"_It's a long story, and I really don't feel like going there right now," Peyton said, her attitude becoming slightly hostile._

"_Fine, but your gonna have to tell us soon enough," Brooke answered, a little more angry than before. _

_Peyton crossed her arms, across her chest, as she stormed off toward her room. She couldn't believe her friends would give her the third degree like that. _

_**End of Flashback**_

"Hey," Peyton heard a familiar voice call from behind, followed by that of an unhappy sigh.

'Damn, she brought someone..." Peyton said to herself, before turning around, her eyes catching those familiar pale blue eyes of Lucas Scott.

"You came back?" Lucas asked, hostility in his voice.

"I had to," Peyton said, stepping off the picnic table, and turning to face him.

"You had to? What did someone force you?" Lucas asked, needing to know why she had reappeared in his life.

"To talk to you," Peyton confessed, as she started to attack her bottom lip. A nervous trait she had picked up over the past two years.

"Why? What you wanna explain to me, what possible explanation you might have for abandoning me, abandoning us?" Lucas asked, anger apparent in his face and voice.

"I was sick Luke, I was sick and pregnant, and dammit I couldn't put you through that. Not when you had so much going for you. I knew it would be best if I left to deal with this. When Brooke said that her and Haley were going to Los Angeles, I knew that would be my best bet. At least I wouldn't have done it alone," Peyton said, tears rolling down her cheeks, as she watched Lucas's facial features lighten at her confession.

"Sick how?" Lucas asked, he'd deal with the pregnant thing in a minute, right now he had to know that Peyton would be okay.

"Cancer Luke, breast cancer. Like Ellie," Peyton fought out the words, before her body was overtaken by violent sobs.

Lucas couldn't believe it, even though he heard it, and saw the apparent pain in her eyes, and face. He put his hurt feelings aside, and held her tight to his body, letting her cry into his chest.

"I'm so sorry Lucas, I never meant to hurt you. In fact that is what I was trying to avoid," Peyton said, as the tears subsided, and she pulled herself back, so she could look in his eyes.

"What about the baby?" Lucas asked, his blue eyes staring holes into Peyton's green ones.

"I miscarried, I knew I would, if I did the chemo, then there was no chance that the baby would survive. That's why I didn't tell you about the baby Luke," Peyton said, seeing in his eyes that he needed more information.

"I found out I was pregnant, about a month before I left. Two weeks after I found out, I was really sick, I couldn't keep any food down, I was losing weight. I knew something was wrong, I also knew that, that wouldn't be good for the baby. So I saw the doctor again, he ran a few tests, and then told me that I should have a mammogram done, with Ellie having breast cancer, he thought it was a good idea. That's when they found a lump, it wasn't that big, but it was enough that they'd have to start chemo," Peyton paused, trying to sniff back the newly forming tears.

"When I got back to Brooke and I's apartment, she had told me that she was going to LA for at least the summer, possibly longer. I saw that as the perfect opportunity to get treatment for it. I contacted my doctor, and asked him if there were any good doctors dealing with stuff like this in LA. He told me he'd shop around for the best, and call me back..." Peyton paused, taking his hand in hers. "Long story short, I've been in remission for almost a year."

"But, why wouldn't you tell me?" Lucas asked, as his eyes begged to know the truth.

"Because, I didn't want you to know that you were going to be a father, but not really because I was sick. I didn't want you to know I was sick because...Hell Lucas, I didn't even wanna know I was sick," Peyton confessed, hoping that over time he'd forgive her.

Lucas just stared at her, a dumbfound look on his face.

"I would have wanted to be there," Lucas said, before walking away, obviously hurt.


	3. Things I Forgot to Remember To Forget

**I know this chapter is a little on the short side, but I figured it was a perfect place to end it, plus it helps set up for..not only the next chapter but the chapters to come. **

Chapter Three: I Forgot To Remember To Forget

Brooke Davis stood at Tree Hill city limits. She had been standing there for over ten minutes now, having driven there from her hotel room. She was staying just outside the city, not sure that she was ready to face the past she had left behind. Which was the reason she had left to begin with. She had loved Chase Adams with all of her heart, but she was scared, well petrifed was more the term she was seeking. The last boy that she fully gave her heart too, had broken it...twice. She just wasn't sure that she could take that kind of pain again. Chase had already broken up with her once, and it had hurt, but the night she left town she had realized just how much Chase meant to her, and she wasn't sure she could take the hurt again if he decided that she wasn't right for him.

She knew that Haley and Peyton both were already in Tree Hill, trying they're best to sort through what was left of what they left behind. She also knew that out of the both of them, Peyton was going to have a harder time getting her old life back. Once she found out the real reason why Peyton had fled Tree Hill, she had felt horrible for her best friend. Not only was she keeping the secret from Lucas, but she was trying to hide it from her and Haley as well.

Late one night she had broken down and told them the whole story. She had sobbed long into the night, telling them how her unborn child had died and how it was possible that she might die as well. It was heart-wrenching and it took everything in Brooke to not break down and sob with her.

Brooke slowly walked past the 'Welcome to Tree Hill' sign, and into town. The town looked slightly like a ghost town, which given the time wasn't too surprising. There was the random car driving through the lonely streets, passing Brooke Davis without even a small tiny amount of knowledge as to who she was. She walked a little further before coming to a hault. She sniffed back a few tears that wanted to fall down her cheeks when she noticed that Karen's Cafe had long since closed down. She ran her fingers along the familiar doorway, trying to remember all the good times spent at this very place.

"Brooke?" she heard a familiar voice call from behind her. She turned around, and her eyes locked with the intense baby blue eyes of Nathan Scott.

"Is that Nathan Scott?" Brooke asked with a sly smile.

"Yeah, have you seen my ummm...ex-wife?" Nathan asked, assuming that if Brooke was back, then the other two were in town somewhere.

"Not since she left to fly back here two days ago," Brooke said, biting her bottom lip, not sure if she should have told him that Haley was indeed back home.

"Great, she just...couldn't leave well enough alone could she?" Nathan sneered at her.

She had to say that she hadn't seen Nathan like this since...well Haley left to tour the country with Chris Keller. In fact, she thought that he looked ten times worse this time around. Although Haley was only gone a few months that first time. This time she had been gone a few years. She couldn't say that she blamed Nathan, in his position, she might not be all happy go lucky either, but Haley was back to fix things.

"She still loves you, you know that?" Brooke asked, her somewhat cheery outer appearance had all but disappeared, and given way to that of a serious one.

"Yeah so what..I love her too, probably always will. It's just, dammit Brooke, this is the second time she left. She keeps giving up on us, I gave her a second chance already, and I'll be damned if I give her a third. It's over this time, for good. I don't want anything to do with her, my heart can't take it anymore," Nathan spat angrily.

"I understand that Nathan, I really do, but she was scared," Brooke tried to explain her friend's reasoning for leaving.

"Oh, so that's just supposed to make it all better, that she was scared. Don't even try to explain her actions to me Brooke, just don't. I don't care, or so I keep telling myself. Look, I don't know what I did to make her feel scared, or whatever other girly feeling she had going through her when she left, but I don't care anymore. I just, I want to be void of feeling right now, it takes away the pain. So if you could just leave my ex-wife out of any future converstation we may have, that'd be really great," Nathan ranted, his blue eyes that used to be so full of color, so full of happiness, were now dull and full of pain.

Brooke felt horrible for Nathan, she had always wondered why Haley had left without even trying to talk to Nathan, without trying to fix whatever he broke.

"I'm sorry Nathan," Brooke said sincerely.

"No...Dammit no, don't you dare apologize for her. She doesn't deserve it, she doesn't deserve to apologize to me. She doesn't deserve it," Nathan kept repeating the same line over and over, as tears ran down his cheeks.

He hated how weak he looked right now, crying in front of Brooke because his wife left him. He angrily swiped at his face, trying to stop the tears from falling from his face.

"It's okay Nathan, it's better if you let it out," Brooke said, wrapping her arms around his neck, embracing him tightly, not knowing that they had a small audience.


	4. Things I Forgot At Birth

Chapter Four: Things I Forgot At Birth

Lucas Scott had forgotten a lot things since he's been alive. Some of it he's glad he's forgotten, and somethings he wishes he could forget. Then again, there are somethings, very few in amount, that he wishes like hell he could remember. One of those things, was his ability to comfort someone in desperate need of comforting. Right now, that person was Haley James Scott. His calling her that though, only proves that he refuses to acknowledge the fact that his brother gave up on his marriage without fighting for like he knew Nathan could. Haley stood beside him, a broken shell of the person she used to be. She used to shine with a radiant glow, but now she was dark and musty. She kind of reminded him a little of Peyton, and with the dark, gloomy radiance that know resided where it used to be bright and shiny.

Peyton though, being of the things he wished he would forget. No matter how much he loved her, or still did. He couldn't get past how badly she had hurt him, and how she hid the truth from him. Although he knew that she was only trying to protect him. She didn't want him to hurt again, didn't want him to lose anyone else. Lucas, himself, knew that he had already been put through enough loss to last him a lifetime. The fact still remained that he wanted to be there for her, he didn't want her to go through something like that alone. He had always known that Peyton Sawyer always had a difinace in her. An independence that no one could crack into. Not even Lucas, no matter how hard he tried. Although he was one of the only ones that got her to open up in a way that she wouldn't with most people. She was always a closed off person, keeping her distance from everyone. Afraid that they might hurt her, or worse leave her.

She had always told him about how everyone leaves, and one day, a few months before graduation. She had admitted to him that she felt she was the real reason that people were always leaving her. That she had an inability to keep anyone in her life, and that she was pushing everyone away. She had also confessed that she didn't want to lose him, that she wouldn't be able to survive if he left her. He had promised her then and there, that he would never leave her, that he loved her.

However, just a few months later, she packed a bag in the middle of the night, and left without so much of a word. Without a goodbye, or without telling Lucas why she felt the need to leave him alone, to wait for her return.

Lucas now looked forward, as Nathan embraced Brooke in a tight hug, as tears of self loathing fell from his face. His attention went from his clearly broken brother, to that of his best friend in whole world. Her face twisted in such a look of pure pain and agony, that Lucas really wished he had the capability to comfort his friend in need. Truth of the matter though, was that he had lost that ability when he lost Peyton. That was the final nail in his proverbial coffin. Lucas, like Peyton, had lost a lot of people he really cared about. His Uncle Keith, his mother who now took up permanent residence in Andy Hargrove's boat, sailing around to god knows where. His brother has been lost to him for a while now, as he refuses to talk to pretty much anyone. His best friend has left, along with Brooke Davis, a girl he had once proclaimed that he loved unconditionally. Peyton though, she had left a hole in his heart, that he was sure was completely unrepairable.

Lucas sighed however, and placed a protective arm around Haley's shoulders, as her body jumped from the quiet sobs that came out. Her eyes were glassy from all the unshed tears that were awaiting for her to let them fall, and her cheeks were rosy red. Lucas was really hoping that Nathan wouldn't see them, Lucas really wasn't in the mood for that fight. Not this late at night, not with his mind so conflicted. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to let him mind fall away, trying to think of a happier time. A time away from this place, away from this nightmare he now called his life.

_**Beginning of Flashback**_

_Lucas rose to the sound of his alarm blaring loudly in his ear. There had to be a better way to wake up in the morning, he thought to himself, as he turned over and smacked the offending object. Where was his usual wake up call. She had been there when he had fallen asleep the night before. He pushed the covers back, and pulled his legs out, and sat on the edge of the bed. He adverted his ears, trying to pull out some sort of noise that would tell him where he could locate his missing girlfriend. Although he found no noise. He stood up, stretched the tiredness from his body, before reaching down and pulling on his shirt from the day before. There sticking out like a sore thumb was a piece of notebook paper laying haphazardly on his nightstand. _

_He felt his stomach tighten at the sight. He knew that this couldn't be a good thing. What could Peyton possibly be doing that would cause for her to leave him a note, and not wake him up. He grabbed a hold of the piece of paper, and swallowed hard, as he unfolded it, and stared down at in, tears in his eyes. He read the three words over and over, trying to wrap his head around why she would have done this. _

"_I'm so sorry." _

_He said the words out loud, hoping they would tell him why she wrote them. Still nothing, no reason would come to him, as to why she would leave him with only this note and no real reason as to why she would do this. He tore up the offending paper, and sat back down on his bed, his head falling into his hands as tears streamed down his face. This had to be a nightmare, he said over and over. _

_**End of Flashback**_

Nathan hugged Brooke much longer than he had intended on. Hell he had let her see him more vulnerable than he had intended on as well. He wasn't sure how long he had been crying, but he knew his body ached from the violent sobs that escaped his body, as Brooke cooed soothingly into his ear, and rubbed his back lightly. A part of him was thankful she was there. He would admit that he had been holding this in for a while now, and it really did feel good to get it all out. Although he did wish there was a much manlier way to let it out, than crying his eyes out, especially in front of another person.

He lifted his head from her shoulder, when his sobs had subsided, and thanked her with his eyes. His once baby blue eyes were now dulled, with a sadness and anger that nothing or no one could fix. Nathan knew that something in him had broken when Haley left this last time. He also knew that nothing, or no one, not even Haley could fix him this time. He was full of self loathing and anger, and no one even liked being near him anymore. His snide and rude comments usually had them all fleeing toward the nearest exit. He had stopped leaving his apartment, and spent most of his days alone, eating pizza that he ordered in, and playing play station. His life was sad, and that thought alone made him want to cry again. He had promised himself a long time ago that he would never let a woman break him, but here he was a broken man, all because of Haley James. His darkened blue eyes fell on the woman of the moment, as a single tear fell from his eyes.

_**Beginning of Flashback**_

_Nathan stretched laying in his king sized bed. A smile on his lips, as he turned to awaken his bed partner from her slumber. He turned on his side to find that her side of the bed was empty. His mind automatically went into overdrive, trying to figure out where she might be. His eyes find a small post it note stuck to her pillow. His stomach dropped immediately, as he saw laying beside that note, was the cracker jack bracelet. He immediately knew that she had left him, again. It seemed to be an on-going thing with her. It had only been about a year since she had returned from the tour, and apparently the grief he had given her on that wasn't enough to keep her from leaving him a second time. _

_He grabbed a hold of the bracelet that he had come to hate, and threw it against the wall. Praying that the damned thing would break into pieces. That bracelet had lost all meaning to him, while it had meant the world to him at a time, now it just mocked him. Him now knowing that it was just her way of telling him that she was gone. He grabbed the note, and of course it gave no details of were she went, or why she left. It merely said, "I'm so sorry. I do love you." He shrugged off her words. Apparently she didn't love him enough to fight for their marriage. He wouldn't wait for her this time, he wouldn't be a good little husband who waited for his absentee wife to return to him whenever a random bug would crawl up her ass, and make her decide to abandon him yet again. He wouldn't go through losing her again, it hurt to much, to badly. He wadded up the small piece of paper and chucked it against the wall as well, as tears fell from his face. Right now, at this moment, he hated Haley James Scott. _

_**End of Flashback**_

Nathan let his eyes burn into hers, he loved the fact that he was making her squirm. She had earned to be highly uncomfortable around him.

'I love you' she mouthed to him.

He's eyes dropped from hers, as he looked back at Brooke.

"We've got company," he said, as he shook his head in their direction.


	5. Something I Can Never Have

**Okay, the long awaited fifth chapter for Suddenly Everything Has Changed :D. I know it's been a while, but i've been sick, and haven't had the time to update. I found myself bored tonight and figured what better time right? This chapter is quite lengthy, which I'm certain you guys won't mind..it also sets up the remanidar of the story. I Hope you guys enjoy it, and please remember to read and review :D**

**Disclaimer..Yes I've noticed that I never write one of these...so I thought I should...I don't own One Tree Hill or any of their characters...if I did Lucas and Peyton would see their happily ever after much sooner! and there would be no more Naley angsty drama! :D **

* * *

Chapter Five: Something I Can Never Have

Haley's eyes moved from Nathan's cold blue eyes, that seemed to not move from hers, to Brooke's. She wasn't sure why Brooke was here, let alone hugging Nathan like that, but she had decided it best to not be jealous of her though. Just because things were really looking bad for her with Nathan, she knew that they're love would win out, or at least she hoped so.

"Hales, I missed you," Brooke nearly squealed.

"It's not even been a week," Haley said, her voice breaking slightly, her face holding a serious and deadpan look to it.

"I know, but we've been together almost everyday for two years. Two years tutor-girl, that's a long time. So to be separated for so long..." Brooke trailed off as she saw Lucas.

"My turn?" Lucas smiled at her, as she rushed into his arms, wrapping them tightly around his slightly thinner frame.

"You've lost weight, Lucas Scott, have you been eating?" Brooke asked sternly, her voice holding a motherly tone to it.

Lucas laughed at out loud at her question. "Yes mom, I have...I've just been working out a lot is all..."

"Sure...Your not sick are you...I mean Peyt..." Brooke let her sentence trail off, as she saw the look of utter heartbreak cross Lucas's face.

Lucas pulled her with him, as he put some distance between Haley and Nathan, knowing they needed to talk...and/or yell out some stuff. He still though, had some questions about Peyton's sickness, that he couldn't bring himself to ask Peyton himself.

"How ummmm...how bad was it?" Lucas asked, as he ran his hand nervously through his hair, unable to meet Brooke's eyes, but could tell that tears were sliding slowly down her cheeks.

"It wasn't easy Luke, it was really hard. She was really sick from the chemo. Most nights she cried herself to sleep. She wanted you there, she knew you'd be strong for her, but she couldn't put you through it. She was afraid she was going to die, and she knew that you couldn't handle that. Not to mention the fact that she was grieving over a child that didn't even have a shot at life. She's still a mess Lucas, and I know it's hard for you...But she needs you, she really needs you," Brooke answered his question without giving out more information then she knew that Peyton would want her too.

"Brooke, what are you not telling me?" Lucas asked, his arms folded a crossed his chest.

"What? I told you everything, it was hard...she's had a rough time..she needs you," Brooke hoped he believed her.

"Yeah, I believe everything you said, expect for the fact that you told me everything. You know you really suck at lying. So tell me, it can't be much worse than everything else I've learned tonight," Lucas punctuated the end of his rant.

He really didn't believe whatever Brooke was hiding could be any worse than the fact that Peyton lost their child and had to fight cancer without him. All because she wanted to spare him the drama. Fact is though, his life is all about the drama. His life wasn't any easier after she left, if anything it was harder. He didn't have anyone to help him through the tough times, and it hurt him worse to go through it all on his own.

Brooke sighed, knowing he wouldn't let up unless she told him. "She tried to kill herself Luke..."

"She what!?" he screamed at her.

Brooke stepped back a little, before continuing. "It was all just too much for her. She wasn't grieving properly over the death of her unborn child...She was always so sick from the chemo, and it wasn't working as fast as the doctors had hoped it would. She just thought it was best for everyone involved. Let's leave it at, we're all very lucky that Haley lost her job that day, otherwise she probably would have succeeded."

"I can't..." Lucas let his sentence trail off, and sighed heavily before continuing. "I cannot believe she would do that, or even think that. God, she used to be so strong, so...empowered. What the hell happened?"

"She got cancer Luke, she got cancer and lost her baby. That is enough to tear anyone down. This is the reason she kept it from you. This is why she didn't want you to know about what she was going through. She was sick, and hurting, and grieving and she just needed you, but didn't want to hurt you. God Luke, she's a mess, when I said she needs you, I meant it," Brooke said, clearly still scared for her friend's life.

"You think...she might try to kill herself again?" Lucas asked the question gingerly.

"Yes, I do, and I think that she might succeed this time," Brooke said, tears present in her eyes.

"I don't know if I can be that person she needs. I won't lie to you Brooke. I do still love her, probably always will, but I just...she shattered my heart when she left, and I haven't been able to put the pieces back together yet. I can't be the man she needs me to be for her, but I swear to you Brooke, I will make sure she doesn't hurt herself..that she will have someone there for her, I swear it!" Lucas said, before giving her a weary smile, and taking off toward town.

Brooke looked at him, as he disappeared down the darkened Tree Hill street. 'If anyone can fix her, he can,' Brooke told herself, trying her best to believe it.

* * *

Nathan stood, staring at Haley, not saying a word to her as she inched closer and closer to him.

"I am so sorry Nathan," Haley said, the honesty of her words, and the look of pure pain tugged at Nathan's heart, but he refused to give in. Not this time, he told himself, he wouldn't let her hurt him again.

"No Haley, you don't get sorry this time. Sorry's gone, it left when you did. You've broken my heart for the last time Haley James, I won't let you break it again," Nathan said simply.

His words were not angry. He did not yell or scream. He was stern, he was serious, and that hurt her far worse than any angry words, or yelling and screaming could. This told her that maybe she wouldn't get him back, that maybe their love had fizzled out when she left him this time. She felt her heart break into a million pieces as she stared at him dumbfounded, and at a loss for any words. Tears were falling down her cheeks, as his eyes bore into hers with a newfound intensity.

"I am sorry Nathan," she was finally able to say. "I never meant to hurt you like this. I never meant to cause you this much pain, and dammit I just wanted you to know that there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't miss you. That I didn't want your strong arms wrapped around me, letting me feel safe again. There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't stop loving you. I just wanted you to know that."

With that she turned her back on him, and walked slowly toward Brooke. She needed a friend right now, and needless to say that Peyton wasn't in any position to be a shoulder to cry on.

* * *

Lucas stood in front of the now abandoned looking building that used to be Karen's Cafe. It has long since been shut down, and closed. The accident came as a surprise to him, as she had been off with Andy in some exotic country, doing god knows what. It had been months since he had last saw both his mother and his little sister. Although, he didn't know at the time that it would be the last time that he saw both of them. Although Andy has visited him a few times, still grieving Karen and Lilly's death, he knows that Lucas is having a harder time with it.

Lucas wipes at the tears falling down his face, before he pulls out his cell phone. He hit the speed dial for the number that Haley had given him for Peyton's new cell.

"Hello," came the darkest, saddest voice he'd ever heard.

"Hey Peyton...can we meet somewhere to talk?" Lucas asked, his voice soft.

"Yeah, uh...the rivercourt fine with you?" Peyton asked, her voice sounding grim, and Lucas winced at the pain in it.

"Yeah, it is," Lucas answered, as he hung up his phone.

He turned, and saw that Haley was obviously crying, and Brooke was comforting her. Nathan was long gone, and he was certain that whatever Nathan had said, hurt Haley badly. He knew his best friend needed him, but he needed to talk to Peyton now.

* * *

Lucas walked slowly onto the rivercourt. Peyton was sitting on one of the picnic tables, her arms folded on her knees, as her head lay against them. Her body jumping every so often. Lucas knew she was crying, or at least had been crying. He felt his heart tug at the sight. She was even more broken than before, and that was really saying a lot. Peyton Sawyer had always had a broken soul, and Lucas being the man he is, had always tried to fix her. He loved being that guy for her, and now standing on the rivercourt watching her in so much pain, he wanted to be that man again.

"Hey," he spoke softly, not wanting to startle her.

He heard as she tried to sniff back her remaining tears, before lifting her head up. "Hey Luke."

"So, I had a chat with Brooke. I'm sorry it was so hard for you, but Peyton I would have wanted to be there for you. I told you a long time ago that I love being that guy for you," Lucas said, firmly, as he strode up, and sat down next her.

"I know Luke, and your great like that. It's just...this would have broken you down, and I couldn't do that to you. Your too kind, sweet, to do that too. This was something I needed to go through without you, no matter how badly I didn't want to. You had to much going for you, for me to come in and ruin it. You deserve so much better than me. I'm such a mess, I don't deserve a great guy like you Luke."

Lucas heard the obvious pain in her voice, in her words. "No you are not! Don't do that, do not sell yourself short. Yeah, you've had a rough life, and yeah you might be a little broken right now, but it's nothing a few friends can't fix right up. I want to be your friend Peyton, I really do, but it's just...it's going to take sometime to get there. I also know that you need a friend right now...so I put in a call on my way over. I promise that while I'm trying to get everything figured out, you will have someone to look after you. I promise that we will be friends again Peyton, just please promise me you won't give up."

Peyton looked at him, teary eyed. "She told you."

"Yeah, by the way, Brooke is a horrible liar. Peyton, I don't know how you could have thought that what was best for all of us, was if you killed yourself. That would have only made the pain much worse..." Lucas paused, sighed heavily before continuing. "I've been going through a rough time lately...well for almost a year now. I've been in a very dark place, and I could have used a friend through it all, but I didn't have anyone to pull me back. I didn't have anyone to anchor me to the lighter side of life. I've had some similar thoughts enter my mind, but I pushed them out. Killing yourself won't help anyone, it'll just hurt the people that love you. Let me just tell you Peyton Sawyer, there are a lot of people that love you, and a lot of them that want you very well alive on this planet."

Peyton hadn't really heard the end of his speech. She had just latched onto the beginning part. The part where he too had thought about ending his life, and wondered what could have happened to cause him so much pain that he would have even let himself think that the world would be better off without him.

"What happened Luke?" Peyton asked, as she reached out a weary hand.

"My mom and sister died, it was a horrible unforeseeable accident. It hit me so hard Peyton, I mean god! I had already lost Keith, I lost you...and then I lost my mom and little sister. I felt that I had nothing else to live for, that there was nothing left in this life, for me to live for. The thing that kept me going though, was the fact that, as far as I knew you were alive. That maybe, one day you'd come back here, come back to me. Slowly but surely, that fact pulled me out of the darkness, and back into the light. I can't say that I'm anywhere close to happy now, but at least I'm out of the darkness. I have to tell you Peyton, that darkness will eat you alive if you let it. It will make you truly believe that life isn't worth living, and that, that I wouldn't be able to handle."

Lucas stood, gave Peyton a weak smile, before walking toward his car, which he had left at the rivercourt, when him and Haley had decided to go for a walk. He reached inside and pulled out a basketball.

"Wanna play?" he asked, needing to keep her here until her friend arrived for her.

She shook her head, not wanting to leave Lucas just yet. She felt so much better just being around him, that she wasn't sure that she could ever leave his side.

* * *

They had been playing for a little over an hour, when Peyton held up her hand, signaling that she needed a break.

"Who knew you were so good at horse?" Lucas said, giving her a small smile, before seeing the car lights light up the dimly light rivercourt.

"Who did you call Luke?" Peyton asked finally, just figuring that he had been lying about calling someone.

"You'll see," Lucas said, his eyes straight ahead, as the car door slammed shut, signaling that the person was on their way toward them.

"Hey Peyton, I hear your in need of a friend," She heard, as she focused on the familiar face, with the familiar friendly smile.

"Jake?" Peyton questioned.


	6. For Tonight Your Only Here To Know

**A/N: This chapter focuses on the Baley/Lathan friendship...and it's quite lengthy...not that, that's a bad thing. Okay onto the update, and remember to Read and Review!**

* * *

Chapter Six: For Tonight Your Only Here To Know

Brooke walked Haley back to the hotel room that she had booked for the week until she figured out what she was planning on doing. On the way there Haley told Brooke what Nathan had said. While it wasn't no where as bad as Brooke thought it would have been, she could see why Haley was upset. It was the entire fact that he wasn't angry, that he didn't yell or scream that had upset Haley. If he had screamed at her, or at least looked angry, it would show her that under all that anger and hositly there was still love. With him being quiet, calm, and serious it showed her that there wasn't much hope for their relationship. This, Brooke figured, was why Haley looked like she'd been up for a week straight.

"Brooke, why can't he understand that I was scared? That...god! That I still love him and that being away from him hurt me too?" Haley asked, her eyes bloodshot and puffy.

"I hate to say it...You were gone for two years Hales, that doesn't show him that you missed him at all," Brooke said honestly.

"But I called him...or at least tried to until he forced me to stop," Haley said, nearly screaming the whole sentence.

"Did it ever occur to you that he was testing you? That he wanted to see how easy it would be for you to just stop any contact with him? Haley I love you to death and your a great friend, but you really screwed up your relationship, and quite frankly it's gonna take a whole hell of a lot more than an 'I'm sorry' to fix this one," Brooke said, honesty in her voice.

"God! What did I do Brooke? I've lost him haven't I? I've lost him for good this time," Haley laid her head on Brooke's shoulder, tears streaming down her face.

"Haley James! I for one am shocked to see you give in so easily. I never said you lost him for good, I just said it's going to be really hard, and really tough winning him over for a second time. You just have to be willing to give your everything to get him back. I don't ever wanna hear that defeated tone from you again," Brooke said, her voice holding the same peppy, cheery tone it held in high school.

"Same ol' Brooke," Haley gave her a weak smile.

"There's the Haley James, I know and love," Brooke smiled back at her, and hugged her tightly. "Plus I'll have a nice little talk with Lucas, and send him on a little recon mission for us."

"That's a good plan Brooke, really it is...but Nathan hasn't talked to Lucas since I left, I guess a part of Nathan blames Lucas for some reason," Haley sighed.

"Broody boy will do it, no one can turn down Brooke Davis," Brooke grinned at her.

"Look Brooke...just don't be too rough on him, he's had a rough year," Haley said, as her eyes glistened with tears.

Brooke wasn't sure what Haley meant. She really had hated how she had lost contact with Lucas over the past two years. With Peyton being sick, she didn't wanna chance giving up her secret. As Lucas so nicely pointed out, Brooke was a horrible liar, he could always tell when she wasn't being truthful, and she didn't want to risk it.

"What happened?" Brooke asked.

With the look that Haley gave her, she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

* * *

Lucas stood outside of Nathan's apartment. He had talked of moving back in with his mom and dad, but he eventually figured that was more trouble than it would have been worth. He knocked lightly on his front door. He wasn't sure what Nathan had said to Haley, but whatever it was had upset her. Plus he thought it was about time that he sat down and had a nice brotherly chat with Nathan.

"Dad if that's you, I swear I will slam the damn door in your face," Lucas heard Nathan yell on his way to the door.

"I would too, if I were you," Lucas smiled weakly at him, hoping Nathan wouldn't slam the door in his face.

"What do you want Lucas?" Nathan asked, his voice sounding defeated.

"To talk, you know have one of those brotherly chats that we've had in the past," Lucas explained.

"Oh, lucky me, but I'm not really in the mood to talk to anyone about anything, so please Luke just leave," Nathan said, not opening his door any wider.

"You know Nate, my heart broke too. You lost Haley, and I lost Peyton...I've lost a lot over the past two years, and I could really use someone to talk to," Lucas said, figuring if he explained the painful things that had happened over the past two years that Nathan would finally give in.

Nathan sighed, before pushing his door open far enough for Lucas to get in. "Alright, you start crying though, and I'm kicking your skinny ass out."

"Fair enough," Lucas said, putting his hands up in mock defeat.

* * *

"Oh my god!" Brooke's hand flew over her mouth as tears fell down her eyes.

"I know it's terrible. Luke said he's been in a dark place for most of the year. That only recently was he able to start to see the good that life still had to offer," Haley explained.

"I can't believe that Karen and Lilly died..." Brooke said, as tears rolled even faster down her cheeks.

* * *

"Wait, your saying that your mom and little sister died?" Nathan asked, he hadn't been expecting that.

"Yeah, apparently they had went for a drive in...damn I can't even remember where they were...Anyways, they got blindsided by a drunk driver. The impact was the worst on my mom's side, she died instantly. Lilly...she uh..." Lucas paused trying to hold back the tears that had presented themselves to his eyelids. "She died in surgery. She had massive amounts of internal bleeding, and they just, they couldn't stop the bleeding."

"Shit Luke, I'm sorry...why didn't you come to me sooner?" Nathan asked, feeling like a real jackass for treating Lucas so badly the past year or so.

"Because you were pissed, and you needed time and space, and I really didn't want to burden you with my shitty life," Lucas explained.

"Dude, we're brother's, that's kind of what we're supposed to do," Nathan explained.

"I know i just...I needed to just kind of sink into a massive hole of depression. I mean at least now I can kind of see what Peyton went through," Lucas said, before realizing that Nathan probably didn't know about Peyton's problems.

"What Peyton went through? Dude you're totally explaining that one," Nathan said, realizing that he wasn't as angry and depressed as he had been, and was kind of glad to have someone to talk to for once.

"You sure? It's a long and depressing story," Lucas said, realizing that his plan had indeed worked, even if it had made him feel worse. He hadn't went into details about his mother and sister's death since Andy had told him what happened.

* * *

"So, what happened? I mean how did they die?" Brooke asked, when she finally regained composure.

"I don't know, Luke said that he couldn't talk about it. That it hurt to bad to say the words out loud," Haley explained.

"Well he needs to talk to someone about it, it'll only get harder the longer he holds it in. Look at Peyton," Brooke said, as they both cringed thinking about all that both of their friends had to endure over the past two years.

"When is life going to get easier?" Haley asked suddenly.

"It's not, if anything Hales...it's gonna get harder," Brooke sighed heavily.

* * *

"She had cancer? And lost her unborn child? Shit," Nathan said.

"Yeah, so as you can see, it's kind of tough to be pissed at her for leaving. No matter how many times I told her that I would have wanted to be there for her, all she can say is that I had to much going for me," Lucas rolled his eyes.

"Well you kind of did Luke, I mean who around here, gets to go to UNC on an academic scholarship?" Nathan asked him.

"I dropped out Nate, I wasn't even there a month before I dropped out. They told me that I had so many months to inform them on my final decision, and right before my time limit was up, my mom and sister died. I told them that I had personal problems and that I wouldn't be returning," Lucas sighed.

Nathan stared at him for a minute, before realizing that he had indeed been seeing him around town far too much to be in school, even if UNC was in driving distance to Tree Hill.

"Luke, your mom wouldn't have wanted you to do that. She would have wanted you to just go on, and move on. I mean by all means grieve, but she wouldn't' have wanted you to give up your dream," Nathan explained.

"To be honest Nate, I don't really have to have a degree in Lit, to be a writer. I can still do it, and now I have plenty of screwed up things to write about. I just couldn't do it. I mean hell, I couldn't' even pull myself out of bed for longer than ten minutes at a time for the first month. I got up long enough to eat enough food so I wouldn't die, but besides that, I just laid in bed trying to figure out a way that I could have stopped it from happening," Lucas explained.

"You couldn't' have though, your mom made her decision to go with that Andy guy...there isn't anything you could have done to stop it," Nathan explained.

"I guess your right...I just...I wish she were here now you know? She'd know what to do," Lucas sighed.

"Life sucks Luke...I thought it was supposed to be easier than this?" Nathan asked.

"No Nate, it's hard...and unfortunately it's only gonna get harder," Lucas answered, both sighing heavily.


	7. What Comes After The Blues

**Okay, so I've kind of decided to go another way than I had orginally thought with this one. It's going to stay pretty angsty for everyone for a while longer. I might fix things for one couple...I hope you enjoy this chapter, I had a lot of fun writing it, and don't forget to Read and Review :D**

**A/N: Italcs are a kind of flashback...if it's confusing please let me know so I can explain it.**

Chapter Seven: What Comes After The Blues

Peyton stared at Jake, her brain not believing what her eyes were seeing. Why out of anyone in the world that he could call, did Lucas call Jake? Did he really mean it? That he just wanted to be friends and nothing more? If so, did Jake come back because he wanted something more with her? That he was sick of waiting, and was going to do something about it?

"So, Luke said you've had it pretty rough. That you left Tree Hill with Brooke and Haley in the middle of the night two years ago?" Jake asked, he looked and sounded the same as he did only three years earlier.

"Huh, oh yeah. I guess you can say it's been pretty rough. I just...kind of tired of talking about it. I'm just really kind of tired in general," Peyton said, yawning.

"Oh, well can I give you a ride home?" Jake asked, not seeing her Comet anywhere in plain sight.

"Oh, you know, I think I'll walk," Peyton gave him a weak smile, knowing exactly what would happen if she told him what had happened, and not really sure she was ready or willing for it to happen.

"Peyton, if your tired you shouldn't be walking. Please, let me give you a ride home...or you can tell me what's bothering you," Jake coaxed.

"You know, I really thought I'd get away with it," Peyton sighed. "Look it's a really long...and depressing story, and I've really bummed out my fair share of people tonight. I'd hate to bum you out too."

"Look, Lucas wouldn't have called me to drag my ass out here if it wasn't important. Now, Lucas must have thought it was pretty important, so you can either start sharing now...or wait till I get you home, and share then. Your choice," Jake said, his eyes telling her he wasn't giving up.

Peyton sighed, "Fine you win."

"That's what I like to hear," Jake gave her a smile.

Peyton always had loved Jake's smile, especially when she was the cause. She knew she still had feelings for Jake, he had meant a great deal to her, and he had always been a great friend. A great shoulder to cry on, and someone to lean on when things got tough. She could see why Lucas had called him, and for the first time since Jake had arrived, she was kind of glad to have him around. This wasn't saying of course, that her heart didn't still ache for Lucas, but if she couldn't have him back...Jake was always a good second.

"I left Tree Hill right after graduation. Brooke was the first to decide to leave. She was going to California to visit with her family, and she really had all intention of coming back after a few months. That was until me and Haley decided we needed a different scene, a different place to call home for a while. We all had our reasons for leaving, although I think mine trumped both Brooke and Haley's..." Peyton paused, looking down at her shoes before continuing.

"About two weeks before school let out, I found out I was pregnant. I was so happy, and I was about to tell Lucas about it. Before I had a chance though, I started getting sick. At first it was kind of small, you know little things. Some of them I just thought had to do with pregnancy, but then it started getting worse. So I decided until I was feeling better, that I wouldn't tell Lucas, just in case something happened to the baby, I didn't want to get him excited only to let him down in the long run. About a week later, I was so sick I couldn't even get out of bed. I called my dad, he had only been back in town a couple of days, but he knew I hadn't been feeling good and told me to call him if I decided I wanted to go to the doctor. So I called him, and he took me to the emergency room. After they ran a few tests, and a few more after a couple came back abnormal, they decided to do a mammogram," she paused again, as a tear trickled down her cheek.

"The mammogram showed a small lump on my right breast, it wasn't very big. They said that if it hadn't been for my symptoms that they wouldn't have really thought much about it. They decided to go ahead and biopsy it...and it came back to show that it was cancerous. I should have been getting check-ups, I should have taken better care of it all. They asked a few questions, and of course the pregnancy one came up. I told them that I was about two and a half months along, and that my boyfriend didn't know yet. They explained that the chemo would probably make me miscarry, and if that wasn't the case, then the baby would more than likely have some serious health problems. So I made the decision without Lucas. I asked them to send my case to a cancer specialist in California, and I'd take care of everything else..." Peyton stopped, as the tears flowed freely from her eyes. "I think Lucas hates me."

Jake placed his arms around Peyton and pulled her into his chest. Her hot wet tears falling against his shirt damping it.

"I don't think he does Peyton. I think maybe he's having a hard time with all of this, and I think he really would have wanted to be there for you. Hate you though? There's no way, that isn't possible for him," Jake explained.

Peyton sniffled back the remainder of the tears, and pulled her head back a little to look Jake in the eyes.

"Thank you," she sniffled again, her eyes going from his eyes to his lips.

She leaned in and captured his lips in a soft, subtle kiss.

* * *

"_Okay seriously...Lucas what are you still doing here?" Nathan asked._

"_Wait, are you kicking me out?" Lucas asked, sipping on the beer that Nathan had handed him. _

"_Kicking you out? Not quite, I just don't understand why you're here, when you could be comforting the woman you love." Nathan explained._

_Even in his drunken state, Nathan was making sense. Lucas decided in that instant, that Nathan was a much smarter man when he was drunk, and that he was absolutely right. He did still love Peyton, and he wanted to be that guy for her. The one that let her cry on his shoulder, and promise her everything will be alright._

"_Your right man, I'm out," Lucas smiled, as he stood up and walked toward the door. _

* * *

Lucas was now standing just inside of the river court, upon seeing Jake's car still parked in it's spot, he figured that they were indeed still there. Now, he kind of wished Nathan hadn't said what he had said. That he hadn't came to tell Peyton what he had realized. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have seen as she cried against his chest. Jake being Jake, held her close, saying something in a soothing tone. Then she kissed him, she had leaned away from his embrace, to kiss his lips. Lucas threw his half empty beer bottle to the ground, as Jake and Peyton jerked up and looked at him. Peyton's eyes wide, knowing from the way he was looking at her that he had seen more than she would have wanted.


	8. Hate Is Safer than Love

Chapter Eight: Hate is Safer Than Love

Lucas stared at the two of them. Unable to speak, afraid he might say, or do something that he might regret when he was sober.

"Lucas, I am so sorry," Peyton plead, tears forming in her pale green eyes.

Green eyes that used to hold a passion for a life. A passion for love, and a passion for music. That passion couldn't even be seen anymore. Now her eyes were dull, and lost any flare they might have held in the past.

"Your sorry? You kiss him, and then you tell me that your sorry?" Lucas held up his hands, gesturing that he was done with all of it.

"Luke wait," Jake called, realizing how stupid that was when he saw Lucas bawl up his right hand in a fist, before turning around.

"What could you possibly want?" Lucas asked, anger flashing in his steel blue eyes.

"She is messed up man. Her head ain't right, she needs you, not me," Jake said, his voice soft and low, making sure Peyton couldn't hear him.

"She lost her chance," Lucas said simply before turning around and walking toward his car.

"Don't be that way Luke," Jake said.

"Look Jake, I don't want to have to beat your ass, but you keep talking and I'm going to," Lucas said, before hoping into his car, and peeling out of his parking space.

* * *

"Oh god Jake, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Peyton cried into her hands. "I never should have gotten you involved like this. You guys were friends, and now..." Peyton paused to take a deep breath trying to keep herself calm. "Now I've ruined that for you."

"No Peyton, look I don't mean this in a wrong way okay? But your head isn't right, I mean how could it be? You lost your baby and nearly your own life. I know if it was me, I'd be screwed up too. Lucas just doesn't understand the pain that your going through. The pain of knowing that...That your child isn't alive because of you, and that...that is a burden that no one should hold on their shoulders," Jake explained, his head hanging.

"Jake, what are you talking about? I know it's not me that your referring to," Peyton said, her voice still shaking slightly, but trying to be calm for Jake.

"Jenny Peyt...she uh," Jake's head hung, as tears slid down his cheek. "I took her to the park...I was watching her I swear I was. I just, god. I turned my head for like a minute, and she was just gone. Well, not really 'gone', just not where she was. I looked around, and before I found her, she was already in the street. He tried to stop, but..." Jake trailed off, as he sobbed lightly, Peyton letting his head rest against his shoulder, and she stroked his hair back trying to calm him.

"Oh my god, Jake, why didn't you say something?" Peyton asked.

Instead of answering, Jake let himself sob for the first time.

* * *

"She what?" Nathan yelled, Brooke sat on his couch.

"She was kissing Jageliski," Lucas answered as he paced Nathan's living room floor.

"Now Luke, you know something is up with that. She loves you, she'd never pick Jake over you," Brooke said softly.

"She loves him too Brooke, you know that. I just, god! I finally got my shit together enough to know what I wanted, and I go to tell her, and she's got her face suctioned to Jake's," Lucas said, trying everything to stop himself from punching something, like the wall nearby.

"Like I said, something is up, because I know for sure that she came back for you," Brooke said, before excusing herself to locate her friend.

"I can't believe that man, women are bitches though. I mean, look at what Haley's put me through...twice!" Nathan said, getting a nod from Lucas.

For the first time in a long time, they were on the same page on Haley's second disappearance.

"Yeah man, for the first time...I agree," Lucas let his head hang.

* * *

Brooke walked onto the river court, and noticed that Jake was gone. She also noticed that Peyton had been crying.

"Hey Blondie, how you holding up?" Brooke asked, taking a seat next to Peyton.

"Not so great, he's really mad isn't he?" Peyton asked.

"Do you really have to ask that Peyton? How would you feel if you walked in on him making out with someone?" Brooke asked.

"We weren't making out, not really. I just, kind of kissed him. It wasn't really a sexual or sensual thing, it was more of a comfort thing. I just needed to feel close to someone, and Lucas said he wasn't ready...I know it's not an excuse, but I just, it didn't mean anything. Not like that anyway," Peyton explained.

"Still Peyton, he thinks it did. You could have quite possibly lost him forever," Brooke explained.

Peyton let her head fall forward, and shook it. "That's not important right now."

"What?" Brooke asked.

"Jenny she uh...she got hit by a car," Peyton explained.

"Oh god, is she okay?" Brooke asked.

"No Brooke she's not," Peyton sighed as she relived Jake's story for her.

* * *

"Hey Luke, it's Brooke, pick up," Brooke said, before hanging up and calling back.

Peyton had left to find Jake, to make sure he was alright, and Brooke felt it was her duty to let Lucas know what was going on.

"Dammit Lucas, I know your phone's on, now pick it up," Brooke nearly screamed that time.

"Actually I turned it off," his voice boomed behind her, making her jump.

"Okay first off..." Brooke trailed off as she punched him in the arm. "That is for scaring the hell out of me. Next, I need to talk to you."

* * *

"Jake, I'm sorry, is there anything I can do to help?" Peyton asked.

"Actually there is," Jake said, his hand resting comfortably in Peyton's.

"What's that?" Peyton asked.

"Come back to Savannah with me...just as moral support. I got to...I have too...I need to see Nikki, and we haven't been on any terms since Jenny's accident. I mean, it's my fault that our daughter is in a coma, I don't blame her for hating me, but we need to stick together for Jenny's sake. I just, I need someone familiar with me when I do it, please Peyton," Jake begged.


	9. Where I End and You Begin

Chapter Nine: Where I End and You Begin

Peyton looked at the window. Part of her wondering what in her right mind had said yes to Jake, the other part glad she was leaving. She couldn't take all the pain and hurt anymore. She almost wished she hadn't came back. She had caused more pain coming back, then she did leaving. She absently sipped from her water bottle, a tiny bit falling on her shirt.

"Where's your head at Peyton?" Jake asked.

He knew that her heart didn't belong to him, and it never would. That said, a part of him hoped that she would give up on her and Lucas. He had loved her since he had left to find Jenny, and he wanted her back so badly. Seeing her again, being so close, that kiss. It all ripped open his still very sore wounded heart. Yeah, he was the one that left, and yeah he was the one that hurt her, but if it hadn't been for Jenny he'd still be with her. At least he liked to think so. His heart wanted that to be true so bad, but his mind knew better. He knew that she would have figured out that her heart really belonged to Lucas. That she would always want, and love him. He would have just been the man she settled for. With that said, he was okay with that. He was okay being second runner up, that was how much he loved Peyton, and he was really hoping that all of this would make her come back to him.

"Tree Hill...Lucas," Peyton muttered.

There went his heart for a second time. It shattered in a million pieces, not something that was easily put back together.

"Do you want to go back Peyton? I didn't want you to think you had to go with me," Jake said, his voice holding a slight hope that she'd say she didn't want to go back.

"No...I mean, part of me does, but no, I promised to help you. I don't break my promises," Peyton gave him a weak smile.

Well, at least she was staying and he knew it would take a little more than a couple of hours for her to get over Lucas. Lucas Scott, he thought, was her one great love. It would take a lifetime for her to really get over it. No matter what life threw at them, they always ended up back with each other. They were those kind of couples that were destined to be together. Destined to grow old with each other, and look back on the hard times and be glad that they happened. Those couples were never apart forever, Jake knew this, yet his heart kept telling him that he had to at least try.

* * *

Lucas paced his living room floor. It had been hard on him, living in his mother's house, knowing she'd never walk through the front door again, but he had done it. Now as he paced aimlessly through the living room, he realized. He was still in love with her. How could that be? How could he love someone that had hurt him so badly and deeply, not only once but twice? He shook his head at himself, he was hopeless. His heart would always belong to Peyton Sawyer, because they were meant to be. That's what he had been telling himself over the years. That they were meant to be, that Peyton Sawyer would one day become Peyton Scott. Not that it wasn't still a possibility, it would just be very difficult now. Then again, Keith and his mom had always told him. With great love comes great sacrifice. He had definitely sacrificed enough, hell so had Peyton. So why were they still be tested? Why did god hate them so much?

"Hey broody boy," Brooke walked in, her voice devoid of the cheeriness it usually held.

"Well hello, non-cheery Brooke," Lucas shook his head. He was nowhere near as good at that as she was.

"Yeah..okay, moving on. Peyton left me this letter this morning. Apparently she went to Savannah with Jake?" Brooke said, her words coming off as more of a question though.

"Really, well there goes that," Lucas nearly screamed, taking Brooke off guard.

"There goes what?" Brooke asked, her eyebrow raised slightly as Lucas blushed slightly before handing her a few small pieces of paper.

"Peyton Sawyer, will become Peyton Scott?" she asked, reading over one of Lucas' predictions.

"I've always loved her Brooke. I guess nothing will take that away, even if I wanted it too. I wanted to hold on to the possibility that maybe, just maybe we'd still have a chance at our happiness. A chance to start fresh, but I guess that's gone now," Lucas said, his voice sounded more defeated than angry. "I just want to stop loving her. I just want the pain to go away."

He stalked off toward the kitchen, as Brooke followed close on his heels. She watched as he pulled out a bottle of liquor, the label was missing, but Brooke knew that it was something very strong, and Lucas was going to get very drunk.

"That isn't going to do anything Lucas. Put the bottle down, do not make me call in reinforcements," Brooke threatened.

"Who are you going to call? My dead parents? My long gone ex-girlfriend? Huh?" his voice held an angry tone to it.

"No, but I do know a few people who care enough to make sure you don't get sloshed just to forget Peyton. Just because she left with him doesn't mean anything. She said something last night about Jake having to leave soon to meet with Nikki. Maybe she went as moral support?" Brooke said, hoping and praying she was right.

"Yeah, right, moral support," Lucas rolled his eyes as he pulled out a tall drinking glass it filled it near the top.

"Lucas Scott, that's it," Brooke threw up her hands, and went back into the living room to fish out her cell.

"Who you calling Brooke?" Lucas asked, before swallowing half the contents in the glass.

"Haley and Nathan," Brooke said, those two needed to fix their relationship as well. Might as well fix as many as possible.

* * *

"Hello?" Haley answered, her head throbbing from drinking far to much wine the night before.

"Haley James, get your tutor-ass over to Lucas' it's intervention time," Brooke said, a bit of cheeriness coming back into her voice.

Haley looked at her phone, 'What the hell she thought.'

* * *

"Hello?" Nathan answered. He was only slightly hungover from the night before.

"Nathan Scott, get your hungover ass over to Lucas' it's intervention time," she smiled into the phone this time.

She'd be damn if she was going to let all her friend's lives go to hell. She was going to fix every single one of them, if it was the last thing she did.

* * *

**Thanks to: _RJMoonspell4, Cayt326, Trublonde18, Princetongirl_ for the great reviews, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I'd love to hear where you'd like to see this go, what you'd love to see Brooke try and fix, or talk about. Anything at all!**


	10. My Way Home Is Through You

**Yeah, update time yet again. I worked hard on this one, and I'd like to thank Cayt326, for giving me a nice idea to run with. I really think it'll help bring the story along. Enjoy, and remember to Read and REVIEW**

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Chapter Ten: My Way Home Is Through You

Brooke opened the door as Nathan made his way in, Haley sat on the couch, and Lucas lurked in the house.

"Broody Lukey boy," Brooke called, as he drug himself out of the kitchen, another tall glass full to the top in his hand.

"I'm in need of very strong liquid courage," Lucas gave her a grim grin, before downing half the glass, stopping to take a breath, before downing the rest of it.

Haley was staring at Nathan, who was looking between Lucas and Haley.

"Okay, now you...and you, sit," Brooke said, pointing to both Nathan and Lucas.

Lucas took the seat next to Haley, sitting his now empty glass by his feet, letting his hands fall over his knees. Nathan sat in the recliner just across from the couch, keeping his eyes on the floor.

"Okay, Nathan, is there anything you'd like to say?" Brooke asked, her hands placed firmly on her hips.

"Can I leave?" he asked, lifting his head to look at Brooke.

"No, you can't," Brooke said simply.

"How about you Hales? Anything you'd like to say?" Brooke asked.

Haley sighed heavily, "Why are you drinking like this Luke?"

"She left with him. That is the only reason I need," Lucas huffed at her, before sitting completely back against the couch, stretching out his legs.

"Come on Luke, there's no reason to bite Haley's head off, she was just asking you a question," Nathan said, before he realized that he had said it.

Haley and Brooke's head snapped in his direction.

"Look, I may not like you very much right now, but I don't hate you. There wasn't any reason for Luke to snap like that," Nathan sighed, finding his hands very interesting.

"Really Nathan? No reason to snap huh? Well that is real damn funny, considering that you refused to talk to me, hell to even look at me after Haley left. When I did get you to talk, all you could do was scream at me, blaming me for you pain. Yet, I have no reason to snap. She broke my heart Nathan, you of all people should understand that. What happened to the guy from last night? Huh? The one that said that girl's are bitches, every last one of them? Where did he go? Because quite frankly Nathan, I liked him," Lucas said, his face red with anger as he rose to his feet. "By the way Brooke, you can stick your intervention up your ass, I don't want it and I don't need it."

With that Lucas stormed off toward his room, slamming the door quite loudly behind him.

"Wow," Brooke said, her eyes wide. She had never seen that side of Lucas, and she had to admit, it scared her.

Brooke got shaken out of her thoughts when her cellphone started to ring. She glanced at the caller id, as it lit up 'Peyton.' She flipped it open, and pressed the talk button before pulling the device to her ear.

"Peyton, what's up?" Brooke asked, sounding as calm as she could.

"It's not Peyton...it's Jake. Look, something happened, I had to rush Peyton to the emergency room. She's not doing so good," Jake sighed into the phone. "She's asking for Lucas."

* * *

Haley looked at Nathan for a second before looking back at Brooke, whose expression turned to one of terror.

"Yeah, okay, we're on our way," Brooke said before shutting her phone closed.

"Brooke what's wrong?" Haley asked, picking up on her friend's change in demeanor.

"It's Peyton, she's in the ER...she's in bad shape, and she's asking for Lucas," Brooke sighed before continuing. "They think her cancer is back, and they think it might have spread. She's refusing treatment until she can talk to Lucas. They said that without treatment, she could have anywhere between 6 months to a year left...maybe even less."

* * *

Jake paced the Emergency Room floor. His cellphone held tightly in his hand. He wasn't good with hospitals, not since Jenny's accident. He was afraid that Peyton wouldn't make it out of this place alive. He was even more afraid that Lucas would refuse to come, which meant that Peyton would surely die. He couldn't bare to lose her, not like that. Even though Brooke had promised to make him come, he still wasn't sure.

"Mr. Jagelski, you have a visitor, she's waiting outside for you," a kind looking nurse came in and told him.

He shook his head before heading toward the front door.

"So, you make all this fuss about wanting to try and smooth things over, then you don't even show up," Nikki said, her arms folded across her chest.

"I was coming, with a friend...but something happened, I had to run her to the emergency room...she's dying Nikki," Jake said, tears flowing down his cheeks, as his back slid down the side of the building.

Nikki sighed, she had always hated seeing a man cry, especially one that she cared about. She slid down next to him, putting her arm around his shoulder, letting him cry into her shoulder.

"I shouldn't have made her come, i shouldn't have put her in such a predicament. It's all my fault...just like Jenny's accident," Jake sobbed into her shoulder.

Nikki sighed even louder, "Jenny's accident wasn't completely your fault. It could have happened to anyone, hell Jake, it could have happened to me even. I haven't wanted to admit it, but I forgave you for it a while ago. I just thought you deserved to blame yourself for a while, that it would somehow bring Jenny back. It won't though, Jenny's condition has been the same, and hasn't changed. Blaming yourself won't bring her back, and blaming yourself, for your friend's illness...it won't change the fact that she's sick."

Jake's sobs subsided enough for him to lift his head. He looked Nikki in the eye, "Thanks."

"For what?" Nikki asked, as she used her thumb to wipe away some newly forming tears from his eyes.

"For forgiving me, for being here...for being a good friend," he said.

Nikki gave him a weak smile, before leaning in toward him just a little bit, and giving him a small peck on the lips. "Your welcome Jake."

* * *

**Special Thanks to:**

**TruBlonde18**

**RJMoonspell4**

**LeytontTLA**

**Cayt326**

**lwrnld**

**princetongirl**

**Lostand1TreeHillfan**

**For all your kind reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter, and it's cliffhanger :D. **

**Once again I stress, if you have any ideas on what you'd like to see happen, or anything just say so in your review, or PM. **


	11. With Arms Outstretched

**Okay, I for see a couple more chapters for this one. I might be persaded to write a sequel, depending on the amount of reviews these last few chapters get.**

* * *

Chapter Eleven: With Arms Outstretched

Brooke paced the living room floor, two of her best friends watched her. Their mouths were agape, trying to process what she had just said.

"How are we going to get him to go? He wont' go. Oh god, what if she dies, I can't handle this anymore. That damn doctor," Brooke was now screaming, and this had gotten Lucas' attention.

He stood, his back up against the wall, his hands shoved into his pockets, as he legs stretched out in front of him. He watched as Brooke rambled out random things about doctors and dying, and he wondered what was going on. He knew she looked upset, even if she was fine when he had stormed off to his room.

"What's going on?" he asked, as he pushed himself up off the wall and stride toward three of his friends. He acted all non-chalent, like he hadn't just blown up and told them all off.

Brooke gasped loudly, his voice taking her by surprise. Haley took this opportunity to take Lucas by surprise. She figured if she caught him off guard she'd have a better way of tricking him into going with them. If that didn't work, then she would this sudden cease fire between her and Nathan, to use him to clobber Lucas over the head with something, and take him against his will. Either way, he would go, one way would just be a more difficult task.

"Brooke just got a call. Peyton's in the hospital, her cancer's back Lucas. She's refusing any treatment for it, until she can see and talk to you. You have to go see her Luke," Haley rambled it all out as fast as her mouth would allow her.

"Okay woah! She's refusing treatment? That isn't fair! I don't want to see her, I don't want to talk to her," he sighed as he fell onto the couch. "If I don't go she'll die."

That was all that was said for a few moments, and Haley was seriously thinking of having Nathan clobber Lucas, and carry him out into the car.

"I'll go."

Three heads snapped in his direction, and Haley was the first one to see the tears building up in her best friend's eyes.

"I couldn't be there for her the first time, but dammit...I'm gonna be there this time. I may not be her biggest fan right now. I might not like her very much for hurting me, but she doesn't deserve to die for it. She doesn't deserve to go through this alone either. I'll go." There he had said it. What he didn't admit was that he still loved her, that his heart ached for her right now, and that he would see too it personally that she pulled through this.

"That's good Luke, otherwise I was gonna have to have Nathan clobber you and carry your ass to the car. You wouldn't want him to have to do that would you," Haley smiled at him.

Nathan's head whipped in her direction, and saw through her smile. He knew that this was not going to be a good or easy time for any of them. Especially for Brooke and Haley. Both had saw their friend through it the first time, and now they'd see her through it the second time. He saw the pain hidden behind her eyes, the regret and for the first time his heart actually ached for her. For the first time since she had returned to Tree Hill he felt like he might actually be able to love her again.

"Let's go," Brooke's voice interjected into each of their thoughts, as they all stood up simotously. Nathan and Lucas shoved their hands into their pockets and walked toward the door, as Brooke put her arm around Haley.

Those two were the only ones who knew how hard this was going to be. How hard it was the first time. How many times had they watched as Peyton cried herself to sleep, just wanting to give up...to give in. How many times did they have to rush her to the hospital because she nearly died in her sleep? What was really bothering both of them though, was that her doctor in LA, has told them that it wasn't a severe case. That they had caught it early, that Peyton should be able to fight it without issue. The thing was, that they didn't think that she did want to fight it. Who, in her situation would? How could anyone want to fight something that could possibly end their pain forever if they just gave into it? She had not only lost her boyfriend, but her unborn child all at the same time, and learned she had a life-threatening illness. Who would want to live after that? They almost couldn't blame her for trying to give up, but they wouldn't sit there and watch her die, they had fought for her. It was tiring, and it was hard, but they fought for her every single day, and they'd gladly do it again. At least this time she'd have Lucas fighting for her with them.

* * *

Jake stood just inside the doors of the emergency room. Brooke had just called, and with the time she was making, they would arrive within the next five to ten minutes. He had to say that he was really, very glad that they weren't able to make it too Savannah. It was nearly a nine hour drive from Tree Hill, if you did the speed limit. He was afraid that Peyton didn't have nine hours left in her, he wasn't even sure how much she had in her. In a half hour's time, she had coded twice. She was barely hanging on, and if they didn't arrive soon, then she would be gone for good. He looked side to side, trying to locate the group of friends. He knew that this was a group he was no longer welcome in, and that was fine. He would gladly leave, and let them stay, if it meant she'd live. He would gladly give her up again if it meant that she could live out the rest of her life.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he spotted Lucas and Nathan. He cringed slightly, afraid that one, if not both, would pummel him for having Peyton run off with him. Nikki walked up behind him when she saw him tense up.

"Assuming your not on good terms with the Scott brothers?" Nikki asked.

"Not exactly, although I'm sure kicking my ass is the furtherest thing from their mind right now," Jake said, hoping it was true.

The doors opened, and Lucas and Nathan towered over him. Lucas felt his entire body tense up, as his fists clenched at his side. If it wasn't for Jake she would still be in Tree Hill. She would already be receiving treatment, and she would be in much better shape. He let a tension filled sigh escape his lips, beating the hell outta Jake wasn't going to help anything, not yet anyways.

"Jake, what's going on? How is she? What room is she in, Can he go in yet?" Brooke fired off a mouthful of questions.

"She's coded twice, the doctor is afraid that if she doesn't start receiving treatment soon that she will be lucky to make it through the night. I'm not sure about her room number, and I don't know, let me get the nurse," he answered with his own mouthful of words.

Within a few minutes a pudgy, much older looking woman was standing in front of the group. "Which one of you is Lucas Scott?"

Lucas stepped forward, his eyes full of worry.

"Please follow me Mr. Scott," the nurse said, leading Lucas down a hallway, and stopping at the end of that hallway.

"Please make it short, she doesn't have a lot of time left to receive treatment," she sighed, and left without another word.

Lucas pushed the door opened, and felt the hot tears prick at his eyelids at the sight in front of him. She had tubes and wires hooked up everywhere. This was not the Peyton Sawyer he was used to. This was not the strong-willed, very opinionated teen aged girl he remembered. This was a broken young woman, one that desperately needed him, and for the first time in a long time, he was going to be there for her. He was going to save her if it was the last thing he did.

* * *

**Brujis84-I'm glad your enjoying this, I hope you contine to enjoy it.**

**RJMoonspell4- Glad you enjoyed his nice little outburst. I was pondering on whether I should have made him give in and go on his own, or do the whole force him thing, but figured it would be best to have him go on his own, as it shows he still has feelings for her, even if he doesn't want to.**

**Princetongirl- glad you like it so far. **

**Kapeesh-Glad your enjoying it**

**LeytontTLA- Well...HMMMMM...Nah she won't die, that I can promise. I don't have the heart to kill one of my fav. Characters...or well any of the characters for that matter...**


	12. Nothing Left To Say But Goodbye

**Okay, so I have decided that this is the last chapter of this story. With that said, I have also decided to write a sequel, might be a week or longer before I can post the first chapter though, as I haven't quite decided how to start it. Please enjoy, and as always REVIEW**

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Nothing Left To Say But Goodbye

Lucas sat down in the chair next to Peyton's bed. Reaching forward slowly, he grasped her hand in his. It was cold and clammy, he cringed a bit. He knew that wasn't a good sign, he knew that he had to get her to agree to treatment.

"Peyt," he started, when he noticed that her green eyes were on him.

"Luke," she rasped out, pausing to catch her breath before she continued. "You came."

"Of course I came. Do you think I'd just let you die?" he asked her, as he used his free hand to push back a blond curl that had dropped into her face.

"I—was kind of hoping.." she paused, coughing from the dryness of her throat before continuing. "I was hoping you would. I don't have it in me to beat this again."

Lucas stared at her, his face full of shock and worry. "Don't you dare give up Peyton Sawyer. You have too much to live for. You have friends that love you. Please Peyton, fight this...for me?"

Tears had formed in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Not until she agreed.

"Okay, for you," she said, giving him a small weak lopsided smile.

"Good, I'll get the nurse," he said, as he rose from his seat and walked toward the door.

"I do love you Lucas," Peyton said.

Lucas whipped his head around, her green eyes were now closed, as the monitors started to beep out of control. Lucas ran to the door and screamed for a doctor. Dragging a cart behind him, the doctor ran into the room, ready to revive her for the third time.

* * *

Tears fell from his eyes, as he slid into the seat between Brooke and Haley. Both of them put their arms around him, comforting him as best as they could.

"She'll be alright Luke," Brooke was the first to interject her thoughts.

"What if she's not Brooke? What if she dies?" Lucas paused, his gaze turning from one of sadness and worry to one of pure hatred and anger. He looked directly at Jake, who cringed at the look afraid that Lucas might actually beat the hell out of him right here and now. "It's all your fault. If you had just left her alone, she would be in Tree Hill. She would already be receiving treatment. You just had to drag her away. You took advantage of her weakened mental state. If she dies Jake, it'll be your fault. I swear to you, if she dies, so will you."

Brooke and Haley looked at Lucas, both scared of this version of their friend that they had never seen before.

"You know what, I did her a favor. Why should she have stayed in Tree Hill? You were being a dick, and quite frankly, she didn't deserve that. So screw you Lucas," Jake spat back.

"Okay, okay!" Brooke said, standing between Jake and Lucas who were now standing up. "No one is fighting right now. We have slightly more important issues at hand. Like our friend who is fighting for her life." Brooke paused and looked at Jake, she wasn't happy with him. She too blamed him for the shape Peyton was in, but she wasn't going to duke it out with him over it. "I think you should leave. Your not really welcome in this group anymore. You lost that ability when you took Peyton away from us. Yeah, maybe Luke was being an ass, but he definitely had probable cause to act that way. Jake if you remember correctly, you hated Nikki for leaving you and Jenny. Well think of it as if, Nikki hadn't even told you she was pregnant and had left town, and eventually lost the baby. That is what Lucas has to deal with. So yes, he had every reason to be angry, but he's here now. While he might not want to admit it, he does still love her. So like I said, you are not welcome here, and your not wanted, so you should go."

Jake looked at her, tears were fresh in his eyes. Never once did he think that they would take his actions so badly. Although he did have to agree, he would have been pissed too if Nikki hadn't told him she was pregnant. So he had to give Lucas that. "Okay," he choked out before turning away from them and walking toward the exit.

Brooke nodded at Lucas, the anger and hatred in his eyes dissipated, and turned back into sadness and worry, as he collapsed into Brooke's arms. Tears flowing freely from his eyes now.

"Brooke, I can't loose her again," was all he could say.

* * *

It had been two hours since Peyton had coded for the third time. The doctor had came out to tell them that they were able to revive her again, but that she was currently unconscious and could stay that way for a while. Lucas explained that Peyton had given them the okay to start treatment, which they had begun to do.

Sitting in one of the chairs, Lucas looked from the clock on the wall, to the hallway in which Peyton's room was down, back to the clock.

"Dude, if they have anything to report, they'll tell us," Nathan finally said, his brother's incessant time checking was finally getting on his nerves.

"I know, I just hate not knowing what's going on. I just, I want to see her," Lucas sighed, his head falling into his hands.

Haley was curled up into Nathan's side, only after he picked her up from her near neck-breaking sleeping pattern on her own chair. She let a content sigh escape her lips as her head burrowed deeper into his side.

"Okay, off depressing topics. How's it going with Hales?" Brooke spoke up.

"I don't know, I mean I do love her. I really do, and with everything that's happened, I know that I do want to be with her. I just don't know if I can trust her with my heart again. I want to be able to, but I'm afraid she'll hurt me again," Nathan pointed out.

"I don't think she will Nathan. The past few years have been torturous on her. I mean, Peyton was sick for a good year after we got out there, so we had that going on. Then there was nothing, but time to think. To think about mistakes we made, think about mistakes that we wished we could take back. Her number one was always leaving Tree Hill. She didn't want to hurt you, it was the last thing she wanted. She just wasn't sure if you really still wanted her. You had been acting kind of distant, and she was scared that you'd leave her. That was the only reason she left," Brooke pointed out.

"Even still Brooke, when your married you discuss stuff like this..." Nathan paused and realized that he had just contradicted himself.

"See."

"Mr. Scott," a voice said, pulling the small group from their discussion.

Lucas stood up and walked toward the doctor. He was explaining, and Lucas was shaking his head, his eyes growing wider, and his face turning paler with each word the doctor said. Only a few choice words were actually sticking with him though, and he latched onto those and repeated them over and over in his mind, as the doctor went on. After he was finished, the doctor excused himself, and left the group alone. Nathan and Brooke looked up at Lucas, waiting for him to share what the doctor had just said.

"He said that the treatment is a slow process, but from what he can tell. It seems to be working so far. He also said that her multiple codes have put a strain on her body, and that as of right now she is in a coma. He said that there is a good chance that she could come out of it. The question right now isn't if she'll come out of it, it's more of when. He said it could be anywhere between days, to years. He said that with coma's it's hard to tell, and that you have to go day by day," Lucas sighed as he slipped back into his chair.

Brooke and Nathan looked at each other and back to Lucas. One thing was for sure, there was no way they were going to let her stay here, not when they had lives back in Tree Hill. They couldn't just leave their friend behind while they moved on with their lives. They were going to bring her back to Tree Hill, how, though was a question yet to be answered.

**Okay, I know that the ending was really sucky, but I just couldnt' find a way to end this chapter that would grip you guys on for the sequel, so I apologize. **

**Extra special thanks to:**

**TruBlonde18**

**Kapeesh- I know you wanted L&J to make up, but I just wasn't feeling it for this chapter. But with a sequel anything is possible.**

**RJMoonSpell4**

**LeytontTLA**

**Preenad**


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